From cute to empress

Chapter 73 The war rages on

Boom! Boom! Boom! The deafening sound of war drums seemed to hammer at my heart, each beat weighing heavily. The resistance on the towers weakened; I could even hear a few suppressed cries. Magistrate Wu's face grew increasingly grim. He shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to steady the troops, but to little avail.

"Your Majesty, the time is almost here," Zhen Youcai rode up to me and whispered. He was clad in armor, his stern face etched with fatigue, yet his eyes remained piercing. I nodded slightly and tightened my grip on the reins, though I felt no joy. This war was never what I wanted, but to protect this hard-earned peace, I had no choice.

"Pass the order down and prepare to attack the city!" I raised the sword in my hand high, my voice firm and powerful, suppressing the surging emotions in my heart.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The drums rang out again, more rapidly than before, hammering at everyone's eardrums like dense raindrops. Soldiers surged toward the city gates like a black tide, their cries of slaughter deafening, shaking my eardrums and my heart. On the city walls, I saw some soldiers dropping their weapons and kneeling, begging for mercy. But others, their eyes filled with despair and madness, made a final stand, as if willing to burn themselves to the ground.

The siege was brutal, both sides raging with blood. The walls were soon filled with corpses, blood staining the ground red, and the air thick with the smell of blood. I suppressed my reluctance and continued to command the troops, adjusting the offensive strategy. I told myself I couldn't be soft-hearted; being soft-hearted would only lead to more soldiers being sacrificed in vain.

"Your Majesty, the city gate is about to be broken open!" A messenger came galloping over on horseback, shouting excitedly. My heart trembled, and I turned to look at Zhen Youcai. His eyes were also gleaming. Victory was within reach, but my heart was even more uneasy, and I had a constant feeling that something was about to happen.

"Follow me and kill!" Zhen Youcai shouted and rushed towards the city gate, like a tiger descending from the mountain, unstoppable.

"Kill!" I raised my sword high, led the soldiers behind me, followed closely, and joined this final battle.

At this moment, I saw a figure in silver armor on the city wall, raising the bow and arrow in his hand towards me. On the bowstring, a feather arrow flashed with cold light... I recognized him, he was the enemy general Hu!

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Zhen Youcai noticed something was wrong, cried out in alarm, and lunged at me... "Whoosh!" The sound of the arrow piercing the air was deafening, and I could even feel the chilling murderous aura. In the nick of time, Zhen Youcai tackled me to the ground. A crisp "ding" sounded in my ears as the arrow, originally aimed at me, lodged itself firmly in the city wall.

"Protect His Majesty!" Deafening roars rang out all around. I was surrounded by guards, but I was extremely anxious.

"Youcai!" I struggled to get up, but Zhen Youcai held me down tightly. "Don't move, it's dangerous here!" As he spoke, he drew the long sword from his waist and pointed it at the enemy general Hu on the city wall. "You despicable villain, you actually shot me with a hidden arrow!"

"Hmph, the victor is the king and the loser is the bandit. Today is the day you die!" General Hu's face was ferocious. He drew his bow and arrow again, aiming directly at Zhen Youcai.

"Don't hurt my general!" At this moment, a deafening sound of horse hooves came from outside the city. I turned my head and saw a black cavalry team rushing towards the enemy from the flank like a steel torrent, led by Lieutenant General Ma!

"Kill!" Lieutenant General Ma raised his long sword high and led the cavalry in an unstoppable force, instantly disrupting the enemy's formation. The enemy's morale was already low, and now it was even more panicked and its formation was in chaos.

"Good opportunity, let's charge into the city!" Zhen Youcai seized the opportunity, pulled me up, and jumped on the horse, "Follow me!"

I gripped the saddle tightly, feeling the gallop of my horse, my heart pounding. The city gate had been smashed open, and our soldiers poured into the city like a tide, engaging in fierce street fighting with the enemy.

The flashing of swords and the roar of killing shook the heavens. I felt as if I were in the Shura Hell. Blood stained my eyes, but I could not retreat, because I knew that behind me were the lives and hopes of millions of people.

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Zhen Youcai pulled me behind him and swung his sword to block an enemy soldier's attack. The murderous look in his eyes was unfamiliar to me, but I knew he was protecting me.

"Kill him! Avenge General Hu!" The enemy soldiers roared and rushed towards us desperately.

"Looking for death!" Zhen Youcai roared, swung his sword and killed the soldier. Blood splattered all over him, making his originally handsome face look particularly hideous... I looked at him with mixed feelings.

"Your Majesty, we must find General Hu as soon as possible to end this war!" Zhen Youcai wiped the blood off his face and said in a deep voice.

I nodded, gripping my sword tightly. "Alright, let's go!" The clatter of hooves, the clang of swords clashing, the deafening cries of killing woven into a tragic war song. I followed Zhen Youcai closely, brandishing my sword, each swing laced with determination to win. Blood splattered my face, warm and sweet, but I didn't bother to wipe it away, knowing only victory could end this bloodbath.

The enemy retreated steadily, their cries of grief and pleas for mercy echoing throughout the border town. Finally, in front of a ruined palace, we found the last remaining Hu general. He was clad in heavy armor, wielding a long sword. His eyes gleamed fiercely, yet his fatigue was barely concealed.

"Niu Mengmeng, don't be so proud! Even if I die in battle today, you will never leave alive!" General Hu roared at the top of his lungs, making his last struggle.

"The outcome has been decided, just surrender!" Zhen Youcai rode his horse closer, with the tip of his sword pointing directly at the throat of the enemy general Hu.

"Hahahaha, I, Hu, have been fighting on the battlefield for decades, how could I be afraid of death!" The enemy general Hu looked like a madman and swung his sword to chop.

Zhen Youcai dodged sideways and stabbed Hu Enemy General in the chest with his backhand. However, at that moment, the archer who had been lying in ambush in the dark fired an arrow straight at Zhen Youcai's back!

"Youcai!" My eyes were bloodshot and I rushed over without thinking, using my body to block Zhen Youcai.

"Puff..." The sound of a sharp arrow piercing flesh and blood, I felt a sharp pain from my back, my vision went black, and I lost consciousness...

……

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, you are finally awake!" In a daze, I heard a familiar voice coming from my ears, filled with surprise and worry.

I struggled to pry open my heavy eyelids, only to be greeted by bright sunshine and Zhen Youcai's anxious face. "Youcai, are you...are you okay?" I struggled to get up, but the wound on my back twitched, sending a sharp pain through me.

"Don't move. The imperial physician said you are seriously injured and need to rest well." Zhen Youcai held my shoulders, his eyes full of heartache.

I shook my head and tried to speak, but my throat was dry and I couldn't make a sound. "Water..." I managed to utter a single word.

Zhen Youcai quickly picked up the water cup beside him and carefully fed me a few sips. "Your Majesty, the border town has been recaptured, and the enemy general has been captured alive. We have won." He shook my hand, his tone full of joy.

I smiled with relief, "I know, I saw it..." What I saw was the scene of the people in the border town cheering and jumping for joy, the smiles of the soldiers returning victoriously, and the beautiful land, which had finally returned to its former tranquility and peace...

"Your Majesty, you should have a good rest. Leave the rest to me." Zhen Youcai gently stroked my cheek, his eyes gentle and affectionate.

I nodded and closed my eyes in peace. However, just as I was about to fall asleep again, I felt Zhen Youcai's body tremble violently. With a "puff", a mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth, staining my clothes red...